• Journal of Life Science
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.631-637
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• 2015

Streptavidin, a protein produced by Streptomyces avidinii, strongly binds up to four molecules of vitamin H, d-biotin exhibiting the dissociation constant of about 10⁻¹⁵ M. This strong binding affinity has been applied for detection and characterization of numerous biological molecules suggesting expression and purification of functional streptavidin should be very useful for the application of this streptavidin-biotin interaction. To express a soluble streptavidin in Escherichia coli, We synthesized streptavidin genes and cloned into pET-22b plasmid, which uses T7 RNA polymerase/T7 promoter expression systems containing pelB leader for secretion into periplasmic space and six polyhistidine tags at C-terminus for purification of expressed proteins. Although streptavidin is toxic to Escherichia coli due to strong biotin binding property, streptavidin was expressed very sufficiently in a range of 10-20 mg/ml. In SDS-PAGE, the size of purified protein was shown as 17 kDa in denatured condition (boiling) and 68 kDa in native condition (without boiling) suggesting tetramerization of monomeric subunit by non-covalent association. Further analysis by size-exclusion chromatography supported streptavidin’s tetrameric structure as well. In addition, soluble streptavidin detected biotinylated proteins in westernblot indicating its functional activity to biotin. Taken these results together, it concluded that our simple expression system was able to show high yield, homotetrameric formation and biotin binding activity analogous to natural streptavidin.

• Nutritional Sciences
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.159-168
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• 2005

Phytoestrogens, especially Yak-kong or soybean-derived isoflavones have been traditionally used as a supplement of estrogen for preventing postmemopausal osteoporosis in oriental folk medicine. In our previous study, the treatment of Yak-kong and soybean increased estrogen receptor-a (ERa) expression and proliferation of MG-63 osteoblastic cells. In contrast, the increase of estrogen receptor-$\beta$ (ER$\beta$) expression in proliferating MG-63 cells with Yak-kong and soybean treatment was less pronounced, which suggested that ER$\beta$ may play a role rather in the regulation of bone cell differentiation To determine the role of ER$\beta$ in Yak-kong or soybean mediated regulation of bone cell differentiation, we established MG-63 cell lines stably expressing either ER$\beta$ or antisense ER$\beta$ RNAs. Increased expression of ER$\beta$ did not affect ERa expression and proliferation of MG-63 cells. However, increased expression of ER$\beta$ in MG-63 cells (ER$\beta$-MG63 cells) selectively enhanced Yak-kong or soybean induced expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG), a novel soluble glycoprotein which is secreted from osteoblasts and mediates the signal for osteoclast differentiation. Inhibition of ER$\beta$ expression by antisense ER$\beta$ RNAs (As-ER$\beta$-MG63) caused these cells to insensitize Yak-kong or soybean induced expression of OPG but increased MG-63 cell proliferation. Furthermore, the comparable effects between Yak-kong and the combined treatment of genistein and daidzein at $0.5{\times}l0^{-8}$ M, which is a concentration of these two isoflavones similar to Yak-kong at 0.001 mg/mL, on OPG expression in ER$\beta$-MG63 cell demonstrate that the enhanced expression of OPG with Yak-kong treatment is mediated by the synergistic effect of low leveled isoflavones in the extracts. Together, coupled with low level of ER expression in osteoclasts, our data demonstrate that ER$\beta$ in osteoblasts plays an important role in Yak-kong and soybean mediated inhibition of osteoclast differentiation indirectly by enhancing the expression of OPG.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.117-121
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• 2004

Soluble proteins of silkworm hemolymph were investigated by means of isoelectric focusing (IEF). The protein spectra during ontogenesis of races and inter-races hybrids kept in Bulgaria was studied. A total of 51 protein bands in the hemolymph from fourth larval instar to imago were ascertained. Stage specific expression was established. The specific expression of some protein bands in the individual spectra manifest phenotype of gene determinate polymorphism (HP F, HP J, HP K, HP L, HP Q - in the zone with pH gradient 3.5-6.2 and HP K, HP L, HP N, HP P, HP T - in the zone with pH gradient 9.5 - 6.2). Breed specific expression was observed. On the basis of the obtained results, it was established that the investigated breeds are heterogeneous and the isoelectric focusing method is successful when specifying the inner-race and inter-race polymorphism in silkworm.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.115-121
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• 1992

In order to broaden the spectrum of substrate utilization of a Gram negative bacterium Zymomonas mobilis which has a great potential as an industrial ethanol producing microorganism, cloning of $\alpha$-amylase gene into Z. mobilis ZM4 was tried. The $\alpha$-amylase gene was isolated from Bacillus stearothermophilus. By Southern blot analysis, it was proven that the $\alpha$-amylase gene fragment was originated from a naturally occuring plasmid of B. stearothermophilus ATCC 31195. To place $\alpha$-amylase gene under the control of Z. mobilis promoter, two different Z. mobilis expression vectors, pZA26 and pLOI204, were used. The truncated $\alpha$-amylase gene was then introduced into these vectors. Both qualitative and quantitative activities of $\alpha$-amylase were observed in Z. mobilis cells harboring these plasmids with the $\alpha$-amylase gene inserted. Gas chromatographic analysis of ethanol showed that one of the Z. mobilis transconjugants was capable of producing 67 mM ethanol from rich medium(RM) containing 5% soluble starch as a sole carbon source.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.13 no.6
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• pp.649-655
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• 1998

Hantaviruses are rodent hosts-borne viruses belonging to the family Bunyaviridae, and are etiologic agents for two acute diseases, i.e., Haemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS) and Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS). There have been a lot of reports on prophylactic vaccines and diagnostics for the diseases, but most of viral antigens have been prepared by eukaryotic cell culture. Nucleocapsid proteins of Hantaviruses are known as the major viral antigens. Thereby, we prepared nucleocapsid genes of Hantaan virus and Seoul virus by RT-PCR and cloned into plasmid vectors, pET-3a and pKK223-3. Both genes were expressed in Escherichia coli with higher expression level of Seoul viral nucleocapsid protein compared to that of Hantaan in pET-3a. Hantaan viral gene was expressed much higher level in plasmid pET-3a that in pKK223-3. About 30% of expressed nucleocapsid protein was soluble and the rest was remained in insoluble fraction.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1258-1262
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• 2004

Phosphodiesterase (PDE) 4 is an enzyme that degrades intracellular cAMP. In the present study, the effect of rolipram, a specific phosphodiesterase (PDE) 4 inhibitor, on osteoclast formation was investigated. Rolipram induced osteoclast formation in cocultures of mouse bone marrow cells and calvarial osteoblasts. This activity was not observed in the absence of calvarial osteoblasts, suggesting that calvarial osteoblasts are likely target cells of rolipram. Osteoclast formation by rolipram was completely blocked by the addition of osteoprotegerin (OPG), a soluble decoy receptor for the osteoclast differentiation factor, TNF-related activation-induced cytokine (TRANCE, identical to RANKL, ODF, and OPGL). Northern blot analysis revealed the effect of rolipram to be associated with the increased expression of TRANCE mRNA in mouse calvarial osteoblasts. Collectively, these data indicate that PDE4 inhibitor up-regulates the TRANCE mRNA expression in osteoblasts, which in turn controls osteoclast formation.

• The Journal of Natural Sciences
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• v.4
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• pp.1-10
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• 1991

The expression of the cloned Saccharomyces cerevisiae antioxidant protein gene in E. coil on plasmid was studied. Introduction of the DNA encoding yeast thiol-specific antioxidant protein into expression vector, PKK 223-3, having the tac promoter resulted in the production in E. coil of a Mr 27,000 polypeptide. This protein represented as much as about 1% of the bacterial soluble protein and showed the thiol-specific antioxidant properties. The bacterial protein showed physico-chemical properties indistringuishable from those of the yeast protein.

• Korean Journal of Pharmacognosy
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.25-30
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• 2017

This study was performed to evaluate the lifespan extending effects of the dried ginger (Zingiber officnale Roscoe, Zingiberaceae). Ethanol extract of the dried ginger was successively partitioned as methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, n-butanol and $H_2O$ soluble fractions, and lifespan-extending effects of the fractions were investigated using Caenorhabditis elegans model system. Ethyl acetate-soluble fraction showed the most potent longevity property. Furthermore, ethyl acetate-soluble fraction elevated thermal stress tolerance, and increased expression of stress resistance protein. Further studies were performed to investigate several aging-related factors such as reproduction, food intake, growth and movement of C. elegans. The results revealed that there were no significant changes in aging-related factors including reproduction, food intake and growth, however, ethyl acetate-soluble fraction treatment led to an up-regulation of locomotory ability of aged worms, suggesting ethyl acetate-soluble fraction affected healthspan as well as lifespan of nematode.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.1267-1272
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• 2005

The effects of coexpression of GroEL/ES and DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE chaperones on the productivity of the soluble form of human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (hG-CSF) in E. coli were examined. Recombinant hG-CSF protein was coexpressed with DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE or GroEL/ES chaperones under the control of the araB or Pzt-1 promoter, respectively. The optimal concentration of L-arabinose for the expression of DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE was found to be 1 mg/ml. When L-arabinose was added at $OD_{600}$=0.2 (early-exponential phase), soluble hG-CSF production was greatly increased. In addition, it was observed that the DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE and GroEL/ES chaperones had no synergistic effects on preventing aggregation of hG-CSF protein. Consequently, by coexpression of the DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE chaperone, the signal intensity of the hG-CSF protein band in the soluble fraction of cell lysate was increased from $3.5\%\;to\;13.9\%$, and Western blot analysis also revealed about a 4-5-fold increase of production of soluble hG-CSF over the non-induction case of DnaK/DnaJ/GrpE.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.212-217
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• 2004

The gene coding for mannanase from Bacillus subtilis WL-7, a number of glycosyl hydrolase family 26, was hyperexpressed in Escherichia coli. Two recombinant plasmids, pE7MAN and pENS7, were constructed by introducing the complete mannanase gene and the mature mannanase gene lacking N-terminal signal peptide region into a expression vector pET24a(＋), respectively. The level of mannanase produced by E. coli BL21 (DE3) carrying pENS7, which included the mature mannanase gene, was considerably higher than that by E. coli BL21 (DE3)/pE7MAN. Almost mannanase produced by the recombinant E. coli carrying pENS7 at growth temperature of $37^{\circ}C$ existed as inactive enzyme of insoluble form. Growth at temperature below $31^{\circ}C$ increased the soluble fraction of mannanase having catalytic activity in the recombinant E. coli cells. The highest productivity of active mannanase was observed in cell-free extract of the recombinant E. coli grown at growth temperature ranging from $25^{\circ}C$ to $28^{\circ}C$, while mannanase activity per soluble protein of the cell-free extract was highest in the cells grown at $^31{\circ}C$.